Dusty, the snowshoe cat

 

Hi everyone! It's me, Dusty the Snowshoe cat, here to share a little story with you.

 

So, as you may know, I'm a bit of a troublemaker. I love nothing more than causing a little chaos and getting into mischief. And let me tell you, I'm pretty good at it too. But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility.

 

One day, I decided to go on a grand adventure. I snuck out of the house while my human was sleeping and headed off into the wilderness (or at least, the backyard). I was having the time of my life, chasing birds and climbing trees. But then, disaster struck.

 

I had climbed to the top of a tall tree, and was admiring the view when I slipped and fell to the ground. Ouch! I was pretty sure I had broken something, and I was in a lot of pain. I tried to make my way back home, but I was barely able to walk.

 

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, it started to rain. I was cold, wet, and in pain, and I knew I needed help. So, I did the only thing I could think of: I started meowing for help as loudly as I could.

 

Fortunately, my human heard me and came to my rescue. They wrapped me in a warm blanket, and took me to the vet. It turns out, I had sprained my paw, but with some rest and medication, I was back to my old self in no time.

 

So, what's the moral of this story? Well, it's simple: even cats like me need a little help sometimes. And if you're feeling lost or in pain, don't be afraid to ask for help. You might be surprised at the kindness of others.

 

Until next time,

 

Dusty the Snowshoe Cat

Building a bearded dragon enclosure

  

      Building a vivarium for your beardy is a big project. If you're doing it from scratch like we did you might run into some design flaws based on the conditions and habitat requirements a bearded dragon needs.

     Upon initial research, I came across some reading materials that were conflicting with my design plan. Some were absolutely non negotiable and had to be discarded as they could be detrimental to the bearded dragon's health. We chose Pine, and Glass.Some ideas I had had to be modified so as not to create a toxic environment. All in all, I made the perfect vivarium for our bearded friend. 

     I used pine for the wood. Pine is toxic to most animals. So, this material requires close scrutiny with sealant. We used polyurethane on all finished surfaces inside. Multiple layers on the inside of the box.

     First I created a hand drawn blue print of a trapezoidal design idea. I chose a 4'L x 2'H x 2'D measurement. Then rough drew a support structure. More on that later.

     The walls are particle board. with pine framing, I started assembling  with glue to brace and side. I had to glue up one side at a time, because of space and clamp count limitations. This did add a few weeks to the project ( i work full time, it was hot out too okay? )

     After the box shape was finished, i put a chest hinge on the top panel, so it can open and close for ease of access. ( we don't use it much, the next one i make will NOT have this unless there is a new need to adress.) Then we drilled holes for ventilation. 

     Then I bought double thick glass. I decided against any acrylic/plastic due to the scratching disadvantages. We used double pane glass for durability and resilience. We didn't use tempered simply because of the cost. To obtain tempered glass would have been 4x the cost of the double pane due to measurement conflicts with availability. I framed the side windows, and doors, then attached the doors to the enclosure, and added a wooden block between them to attach the locking mechanism.

     The Stand was easy and was constructed in such a way as to minimize material, and stability. So, this stand would be wobbly or tip easily, but would fit up against a wall too. the bracing is only four 2 x 4s notched together to make a Tic-Tac-Toe support structure. Held up by four 2 x 4s. The two legs in back and the two legs in front. The back legs are straight, but the front legs angle outward slightly, lending support against potential tipping disasters. I added a shelf between the legs and glued some left over FRP board ( shower wall paneling) from a bathroom remodel.

      After the paint dried my wife printed some decals to liven it up. I went with a Stargate SG1 them. Yeah! So, the legs had some golden hieroglyphics, and there is a silhouette of the pyramids of Giza on the front.

     For the outside finish, I cover the enter box exterior in plaster, and made the surface smooth. Hiding flaws and covering the wood and grain. Then I painted the box an off white. The frame of the windows and doors and vent ports were painted to match the stand. A gloss black.

     My wife Bri completed the project in steps after the construction was complete. The back and sides are covered spray foam with cork bark imbedded strategically. Then formed a bit to build a sort of shape of terrain. After this the Foam was covered in black ,aquarium tank safe for animal, silicone. While the silicone was still wet, she sprinkled loose substrate over it so it would stick and create the appearance of a dirt wall.

     After construction, was complete a substrate of a recommended mix of sand and soil as well as a healthy mix of little bugs and critters that help to self maintain the ecosystem were all added. Then decorations, a cave, and a few hammocks were added.

     The conditions of the atmosphere and substrate had to be considered also. A bearded dragon can adapt easily to many different flooring types, but in an effort to keep as close an environment as is natural to the little beastie. 

     So the last thing we really had to tackle was the balancing of the humidity right after assembly. The inside was too humid, and so we bought some online computer fans and attached them to two port holes on one side, to quickly dry the internal conditions. We needed this for about 6 months, until the substrate and interior reached an equilibrium and flattened out the humidity to around 15 - 20.

     Now, we have a unique and love habitat for our family member Draconia. She loves to go basking in the heat, and then hanging out in her corner on the cool side. She REALLY enjoys the hammock which looks out of one of the diagonal windows up high.

Holy Dog Poo

( Rocky and Dusty )

       OK, so here's a funny story about a dog and his habits and the effects it had on the neighbor next door.

       The dog's name was Sindbad. A Rottweiler mix. He was a great guard dog, and loving in his ways. This dog belonged to my friend, and they have a good relationship with their neighbors (For the most part)

       They moved to a new home, and several months after, the house next to them was purchased and a new neighbor moved in. He just so happens to be a man of faith. A priest ordained by the Catholic Church.

       One morning my friend was leaving for work. She opened the back door to walk to the garage and she saw something on the corner of the patio. It was undefinable, and piled up like a pyramid.

       She had no time to spare but a second to inspect the abnormality, as she was running behind for work. Upon said inspection she came to realize what she was viewing was quite surprisingly a neatly piled stack of dog poo!

       My friend was far too busy to take care of the situation, so she went to work. After a few hours at work she came to a solid conclusion after considering the possibilities. It wasn't a single visit, or multiple visits by the dog. It had to have been placed there. The only person who would do this is the new neighbor.

       By the time my friend got home that day, it was apparent. The older gentlemen had left a note on the door.
"dear neighbor, your dog has been doing his business in my yard and I'm tired of it. Now, it's your problem"
By this declaration of urban war, my friend chose not to surrender to such juvenile actions. I mean seriously? Who does that? It was obvious to my friend what she had to do...leave the poo sit there. So it sat. For weeks! Until it became the stain that sits there now.

       Now it was the neighbors turn to act again and by this time Sindbad was not confined as well as my friend thought. She woke up made her coffee, was just about to leave for work, and happens to peer outside onto the steps leading down to the patio. There was a new fecal matter to resolve.

       Poo had been lined up all the way across the bottom step. Again... who does that? Well all is well that ends well I suppose because the next step (so to speak) was to prevent further warfare and hardship.

       The plan so far is to get a shock collar device. This is a better option than to chain an animal outside. It's smart! More on this in later blogs. Besides, dogs don't get shocked too many more times after the first. They are just guidelines for what most dogs already know are their boundary line.

       The point I'm making my way to is that we should take into consideration our neighbors when dealing with our pets. Sometimes folks can take an easy solution to a small problem and blow it up into a life lesson. You know the one, an eye for an eye. Well, the best way to deal with our long term issues with our neighbors and their pets is to be open and concise with what issues we have.